14 days until the
first day of summer!
I say I'm a craft-challenged, fifty-something, LDS, wife, mother, grandmother and novelist who lives in rural Maryland. That pretty much sums me up. My husband had a heart attack a few years ago. Gratefully, he is doing well, but the seeds of "Awakening Avery" were sown on the harrowing ambulance ride that night as I realized how quickly we can be catapulted into a different life. If I could afford a second house I'd choose one on Anna Maria Island. I fell in love with Florida's Gulf Coast and the Ca D'Zan six years ago. And yes, I really did eat Slumgolian growing up. Would I recommend it? Hmmmm. . . . .You can learn more about Awakening Avery and Laurie Lewis on her website: www.laurielclewis.com and her blog: A View From the Other Side of the Hill.
LDSWBR: What activities do you and/or your family participate in every summer? Do you have plans to try something or go somewhere new this year?
LAURIE: We generally plan a big, inclusive family vacation every summer, but this year we're postponing the family gathering until October in order to celebrate my husband's 60th birthday. Our destination this year is oceanside in Newport News, California. This family gathering is the highlight of each year, then we'll gather again for one of the holidays.
Aside from the big vacation, we generally spend summers laying low at home, poolside, with a revolving door for family and friends to pass through.
LDSWBR: Do you have a favorite summer food or drink? If so, are you willing to share the recipe?
LAURIE: I'm a water-drinking maniac, so that's my drink of choice. We grill a lot, and eat tons of salads and fruit during the summer, but otherwise, my favorite summer food would probably be my friend's Sloppy Joe recipe. I make it up in large batches and freeze it so I can pull it out for a quick, "warm-it-up" supper. I've never met anyone who didn't go gaga over these.
Posted by Laurie Lewis
Description: Family fav!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 med. onion
1 med. green pepper
2 Tbsp margarine
2 tsp. mustard
2 Tbsp. br. sugar
¾ C. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 med. onion
1 med. green pepper
2 Tbsp margarine
2 tsp. mustard
2 Tbsp. br. sugar
¾ C. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Directions:Sauté onion and pepper in margarine. Add ground beef and brown. Add remaining ingredients and enjoy!
(You can adjust onion and pepper amounts to suit taste. This freezes very well so when ground beef is on sale, make up a big batch and put it away for a lazy day!)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Meals
Servings: 6
LDSWBR: That recipe sounds delicious! What books are on your summer reading list?
LAURIE: These are here, in my office, ready for me to enjoy: Gale Sears, "The Silence of God"; Remini's "The Battle of New Orleans," for research purposes; "Wednesday's Letters" and "Recovering Charles" because I'm catching up on great books I missed the first go-round.
LDSWBR: Thank you very much, Laurie!
LAURIE: These are here, in my office, ready for me to enjoy: Gale Sears, "The Silence of God"; Remini's "The Battle of New Orleans," for research purposes; "Wednesday's Letters" and "Recovering Charles" because I'm catching up on great books I missed the first go-round.
LDSWBR: Thank you very much, Laurie!
Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis (Brigham Distributing; April 2010) is available for purchase at Amazon, Deseret Book, and This is the Place, an online LDS store where autographed copies can be purchased.
Do you get together every year with your extended family for a big vacation or family reunion? If so, do you always go to the same place or do you switch it up?
Tweet this today for an entry in the drawing:
Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis- Countdown to Summer 2010- Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card & books! http://bit.ly/9LC8xs @ldswbr #ldswbr2010
If you read and liked the book by this author, nominate it for a Whitney Award! Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of several fiction books published by LDS authors in 2010.
***Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest***
LDSWBR will hold a drawing on June 26, 2010 for a $25 Amazon Gift Card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog.
Book prizes generously donated by the authors:
- Abish: Daughter of God by K.C. Grant
- TRAPPED by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
- The Road Show by Braden Bell
- Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis
- Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
- Summer in Paris by Michele Ashman Bell
- Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell
- Alma the Younger by Heather (H.B.) Moore
- Queen in Exile OR The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch (winner's choice)
- The Silence of God by Gale Sears (book or audio- winner's choice)
- Dangerous Connections by Julie Coulter Bellon
- Critique of three chapters (up to 30 pages) from Nichole Giles
- Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Summer 2010 author posts. Comments can be added on any of the author posts anytime during the contest period (June 1, 2010 through June 21, 2010). Only one comment per person per "Countdown to Summer" author post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you'd like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
- Follow us on Twitter: @LDSWBR - then send us a direct message to let us know you want to be entered in the Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest. If you are already a follower you need to send us a direct message telling us you want to be included in the contest.
- Tweet about that day’s author post using the tweet message included in each author post. Send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com with the link to your tweet.Only one tweet per day counts so no need to harass your friends :). LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet in order for you to get an entry into the contest.
- Tweet this message each day (one entry per day). Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it: LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2010 at http://ldswbr.blogspot.com! Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card & some great books! @ldswbr #ldswbr2010
- Follow LDSWBR on Facebook, then send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com that you’d like to be entered into the Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest. If you already follow LDSWBR on Facebook, send us an email to let us know you’d like to be included in the contest.
- Blog about this contest on your blog in a post that includes the link to the LDSWBR blog, then send us the link to your specific blog post.
Here are the rules:
- LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a "thoughtful" comment.
- Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MDT on June 25, 2010. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MDT on July 3, 2010 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
- Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
Please join us in counting down to summer with some great reads!
Our family likes to go to Washington state. The Grandparents have a house on the river in a small town called Washougal. The river is so beautiful and peaceful, so it is perfect.
ReplyDeleteHubby's side of the family has a summer camp out every summer. Siblings rotate every year. The one in charge gets to pick the spot.
ReplyDeleteI posted on my blog for you! And twitted.
When I get together with family it is always a different place because there has to be a place big enough for us.
ReplyDeleteWe used to get together with my mom's side of the family every month at the grandparents' house to celebrate birthdays because we all lived in the area, but now we're lucky if we get everybody together each year. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great book. I'm doing a review of it on my blog soon.:) My husbands family always has a reunion every summer. We usually go camping...which I'm not a fan of, but I'm a trooper and always have a good time.
ReplyDeleteWe have a family reunion with my mom's side of the family. It's fun.
ReplyDeletechaleese@comcast.net
Most of my extended family on my Dad's side we go to Idaho, where most of them live.
ReplyDelete